Poisoned
by Wicked42
Summary: It was all her fault that her best friend in the whole world, besides the blonde Willis, was lying unconscious on the ground at her feet, fevered from the poison running through his blood. Dawn x Lucas
1. The Attack

A/N: I don't know if you've noticed, but 1) I love angsty fics with happy endings (no, I don't like hurting my favorite characters, but I do love the fluff that comes from it!) and 2) I have random obsessions, and my stories usually reflect those (there's a reason I jump from fandom to fandom). :)

So anyway, here's the first pokemon fanfic I've ever posted, though not the first one i've ever written. It's centered around the pokemon diamond GAME (because I don't know, nor care, about the tv show), and Lucas is the Professor's assistant. Hopefully you'll enjoy this. :)

PS: I obviously do not own pokemon. O.o

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**Poisoned**

**The Attack**

Dawn buried her head in her hands

Dawn buried her head in her hands. How had she gotten into this situation? More importantly, how had she gotten Lucas into this situation? It was all her fault that her best friend in the whole world, besides the blonde Willis, was lying unconscious on the ground at her feet, fevered from the poison running through his blood.

It had started out as an ordinary day, with Dawn wandering the forest landscapes on route 216. Her goal was to reach the icy Snowpoint city within the next three days, and she had been making smooth progress for the past four. Route 216 was the longest stretch of land between two cities in all of Sinnoh, so she had stocked up on potions and strong pokémon before she had left Celestic town.

Unfortunately, she had never even considered buying bandages and medication for humans. As long as she had her pokémon with her, it was highly unlikely _she_ would get hurt.

But she hadn't planned on running into a reckless wild Nidorino who had more fun in targeting people instead of their pokémon protectors.

Dawn tucked the blanket around Lucas's shivering body as she unwillingly relived the day that had literally been her worst nightmare. She had been minding her own business, trudging alone through the snow that settled on the ground like a thick blanket, when the pokémon jumped out of the nearby trees. At first she was shocked—Lucas had once described a few of the pokémon from other regions, and this one fit the description of a Nidorino, though she had no idea what it was doing in Sinnoh. And furthermore, why was this pokémon hanging out in the snow and freezing temperatures? It clearly wasn't an ice or fire type.

While she watched in curiosity, the Nidorino focused its sights on her and began pawing at the ground. Dawn realized all too quickly what it was planning on doing, and swiftly whipped out her Empoleon for battle. The penguin-type pokémon braced itself and started firing rapid bubbles at the foe on Dawn's command. But the Nidorino had something she hadn't anticipated: speed. It dodged her Empoleon's bubbles as if they were in slow motion and honed in for the kill, with the horn at the tip of its nose lowered and oozing poison.

Her Empoleon fell with a thud, and Dawn quickly recalled it. Then she reached for another pokéball, keeping her gaze on the Nidorino. She grabbed a ball and was about to open it when a strong gust of wind hit. Snow got into her eyes, and she squinted, searching for her opponent.

"Not good…" she muttered, wishing she had bought the goggles an elderly lady tried to sell her. "Definitely not good…!"

Just then, someone stood protectively between her and the Nidorino, obscured by the blizzard's snow. The Nidorino charged at him, and made contact. The impact sent the person flying towards Dawn, and he collided with her at full force. Unable to dodge the person, she fell into the snow with an 'oomph!'. She felt a weight on top of her, and gasped in recognition as she noticed Lucas's red beret.

"Lucas! Oh my god, are you okay?"

"Shh," he whispered, trying to regain his breath but still stay silent. "Stay down, don't…make a sound…"

They sat in silence for a moment, with him lying on her, and her pressed into the deep snow. She blushed at the close contact, but Lucas didn't seem to notice, instead staring intently at the swirling snow. Finally, after what seemed like an hour—but was probably only about ten minutes—he slowly climbed off of her and helped her up.

"Sorry about that," he apologized between pants. "I heard you…were planning on going through route 216…and came to help. It's…a treacherous road, and it looks like I arrived just in time…"

She dusted the snow off of her skirt, glaring at him, "I can't believe you did that, you idiot. I'm amazed you didn't break any bones," she scowled, and he smiled apologetically. She studied the surrounding forest with curiosity, "Is it gone?"

Lucas nodded, huffing, "It should be… It can't see in a snowstorm any better than we can… I'm willing to bet it was just…protecting its mate, and you got too close…" he took a few deep breaths, still trying to regain the air that had been knocked out of him due to the collision.

"But what was a Nidorino doing in Sinnoh?"

"No idea…" Lucas seemed to be breathing harder, and he leaned against a nearby tree. "I have a headache all of a sudden…"

Dawn frowned and walked up to him. He definitely looked paler than normal, but she had written it off as another after-effect of the Nidorino's tackle. Now, however, she could see his cheeks were flushed, and sweat was trickling down the sides of his face despite the freezing temperatures. She put a gentle hand on his forehead and furrowed her brow, "My god, Lucas, you're burning up! Were you sick before you came looking for me?"

He slid to the ground, using the tree trunk as a backrest, "…No, I wasn't…"

She knelt down beside him, brainstorming on the possibilities. Suddenly she recalled the poison oozing from the Nidorino's horn, and her face went as white as his was, "Did the Nidorino touch you with its horn when you got knocked down?"

"M-maybe…" his teeth were starting to chatter, and his eyes drooped. She kept one hand on his cheek, hoping the warmth of her glove might keep him awake for a bit longer. In the meantime, she scanned his body in search of any place the skin was showing, where the poison might have seeped into his skin and bloodstream.

There. She located the spot—his stomach. In the harsh wind, his sweatshirt and t-shirt must have flown up, exposing bare skin that was now bruising from the forty pound pokémon hurtling itself at him. The venomous horn had left a thin, shallow scrape on the right side of his abs, but that was all the poison needed to enter his bloodstream. She knew that by now the blood was circulating the toxin throughout his body, and his heart—the very organ that pumped blood through the veins and kept someone alive—was now aiding the spread of the toxin that might end up killing him. It would have been very ironic if it hadn't been so horribly serious.

She knew that nothing good would come of keeping Lucas in the snow—she needed help, and fast. She quickly pulled out his cell phone and pressed number two-speed dial, remembering that he had once mentioned the Professor's number was programmed in. Then she fidgeted, waiting for Professor Rowan to pick up.

After the second ring, a click was heard and the Professor's voice filled her ear, "Ah, Lucas. Finally checking in, are you?"

"Professor!" she blurted out, and suddenly her eyes were wet with tears. Talking to the Professor made this nightmare all too real. "I need you go get up to route 216 as soon as you can. Lucas is hurt really badly!"

She could hear shuffling in the background as the Professor quickly got his things together and prepared to leave—he didn't need any more convincing, "I'm coming. Give me your coordinates."

She glanced at her Pokétch and rattled off their position.

"I'm on my way," the Professor said quickly. "What's wrong with him?"

"Poison," she stated worriedly. "I ran into a Nidorino, and it attacked me. Lucas saved my life…"

She heard the professor swearing, "Nidorino poisoning is nothing to joke about. I can be there in an hour. In the mean time, give him a dose of antidote. Even though it's meant for pokémon, it still has some of the agents needed to keep the poison at bay until he can be treated properly. Keep him warm, Dawn, and don't move him!" the phone went dead, and Dawn quickly pocketed it before searching through her backpack for the antidote and a thick blanket.

Lucas was worse than he had been just minutes before—he barely seemed to be breathing now. His eyes were mere slits, and it seemed to be a large task to keep them open that far. Dawn put her hand on his forehead again, frowning as she readied the bottle of antidote. For pokémon, all you had to do was spray it on the skin, and it soaked into the body. She had no idea how to administer it to a human being, and almost didn't want to take the chance of screwing up. This was Lucas, not some pokémon! If something happened, she could never live with herself…

Then realization hit her like a bird might hit a window—abruptly, and without mercy. If she didn't do something now, Lucas probably wouldn't survive the hour.

With that in mind, she pulled up his shirt. He stirred and opened his eyes as the bitter cold hit his unprotected skin. Dawn grabbed the antidote bottle and prepared to spray it on him.

"…Dawn…?" Lucas murmured, pretty much out of it. "…Am I sick…?"

She felt tears streaming down her face, freezing to her skin, "Yes. But you'll be fine, so don't worry, okay?" she winked for his benefit and sprayed four quick squirts of the antidote onto his stomach.

"Why… are you crying…?"

Dawn bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut, looking away as she wiped up the tears. Typical Lucas. He was on deaths doorstep, but was still concerned about others. "I just got something in my eye," she lied. She could feel his conscious slipping, and covered his stomach again, looking into his glassy eyes. Her voice cracked more than once, "Lucas… Please, don't let this poison… Stay alive, okay?"

His lip twitched upwards, "I… wouldn't die…" his eyes closed, and he sagged against the tree trunk.

She grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around him, tucking him into it tightly and bringing it up to his chin. Then she checked his pulse. The antidote seemed to help a little bit—his breathing wasn't quite as shallow, though his fever still raged. She settled down next to him, holding him close to share body warmth while she waited for the Professor.

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A/N: The End!

... Just kidding, jeez. :P This is a three-chapter story, and **the more reviews I get, the faster I update**! (hint hint)


	2. The Recovery

A/N: Chappie two! :P You guys are lucky--I usually don't update until I get at least ten reviews per chapter... But I'm having a good day. :) Enjoy!

Dedicated to "Loz is da bestest", because he/she thinks in the same manner I do! :D

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**Poisoned**

**The Recovery**

How long would it take for him to arrive? Was he close, or just leaving his lab? Which pokémon was he taking? It would have to be a fast one, to get him all the way from Sandgem town. She kept herself busy by thinking of the kind of pokémon the Professor might use. He could teleport himself with a Kadabra, though they couldn't do long distances, or he could fly on the super-fast Pidgeot…

After what felt like forever, Lucas's cell phone rang. She fumbled with it for a moment before flipping it open, "Hello?"

"Dawn, I'm in the area. Send up one of your flying pokémon, or give me some sort of sign to tell me where you two are."

She thought for a second—and only a second—before deciding on her Raichu. It only took a moment more to get the electric pokémon out and order him to send a lightning bolt into the sky. The pokémon obeyed instantly, and within seconds a slick red pokémon touched down just feet from them. Dawn called back her Raichu, staring at the new pokémon. She would have been shocked, if her emotions hadn't been spent worrying about Lucas.

The Professor hopped down from the pokémon and strutted over quickly, bending down to examine his assistant. Dawn started packing her things, though there wasn't much to pack.

"What kind of pokémon is that?" she inquired.

He didn't even spare her a glance, "That's Latias. I helped her out in a rough spot a bit ago, and she owed me a favor. There's no smoother, or faster, ride anywhere." He looped one arm underneath Lucas. "Dawn, help me with him."

Together, the two of them managed to get Lucas onto Latias's back. Then they both climbed on themselves, and the pokémon started to rise slowly and effortlessly, as if the weight on her back meant nothing. Then, once she had risen above the storm, she angled south-southwest and shot off like a rocket.

Dawn found herself clutching the pokémon's neck as her last lifeline, but after a moment realized that it felt as if they weren't even moving. The air around them seemed suspended, but below she could see the landscape rolling by as if it were a movie being fast-forwarded. The Professor kept a tight hold on Lucas, and Dawn managed to tear her eyes away from the ground to look at her best friend.

"Will he be okay?" she asked, almost timidly.

Professor Rowan sighed, "Probably. Once he has the correct medicine, he should recover. But…" he fell silent, and Dawn finished his sentence in her mind.

_It might be too late._

The rest of the ride carried out in numbed quiet, and Dawn stared at everything around her, but comprehended nothing at all. At any other time, she would have been fascinated by the fact that she was flying on a pokémon she'd never heard of before—one that was probably a legendary she would never see again. Now, however, she had to struggle to keep from crying in anguish at Lucas's situation. And four words haunted every silent conversation she had with herself, echoing in her mind like cruel slaps against her cheek.

It's all your fault.

They made it back to Sandgem town in record time, though it still felt like forever to Dawn. She was curious as to why they landed here instead of a regular hospital in one of the larger towns, and voiced her doubts to the Professor.

"They can't help him. Since Nidorino aren't native to Sinnoh, the hospitals probably won't carry the antidote. I'm not going to take that chance," he climbed off of Latias, and together they started moving Lucas inside. Once they had him on a bed, the Professor ordered her to go thank Latias. "She's a smart pokémon, much smarter than most, and she'll expect gratitude."

Dawn reluctantly went back outside, shedding her coat at the door before exiting the lab. Since they were now much farther south, the weather—though still a tad nippy—wasn't anywhere near the blizzard stage. If it rained, there would be no snow.

Latias was still sitting in the same spot, watching Dawn as she approached. The rest of the town was deserted—it was nighttime, and in a town this small everyone would be inside and asleep. The red pokémon didn't seem to notice the absence of people, instead focusing on Dawn. The girl cleared her throat.

"Um…" she stared up at the pokémon, intimidated, though Latias was clearly docile. "T-thank you for the lift."

The Latias seemed to beam, and the sight encouraged Dawn. The girl realized just how vital this pokémon's part in all of this had been, and true gratitude swelled in her, "Really, thank you so much. Without you, the Professor would have taken a really long time, and Lucas wouldn't have had a hope…" A tear slid down her cheek as she remembered her friend's true predicament again.

Latias cocked her head and nudged Dawn, and suddenly a telepathic voice spoke in her mind, _"Don't fret. The boy will live."_

Dawn glanced around quickly, confused. The Latias started to rise, and—with a wave at the girl on the ground—took off west, towards the ocean. Dawn shrugged off the voice and hurried back inside the lab.

She found the Professor and Lucas in a back room topped off with medical equipment. Lucas lay on a bed in the middle, and the Professor was filling a syringe with purple liquid. Dawn stayed at the doorway, trying to keep out of the older man's path, "Latias left. Can I help with something?"

"Hold his left arm for me."

Glad to help, she skipped over to Lucas and picked up his left arm. Professor Rowan ran a finger over his wrist, and nodded resolutely when he found his target. Then, he slid the needle's point into the vein, pushing slowly as the purple liquid streamed into Lucas's bloodstream. The boy stirred but didn't open his eyes, falling back into unconscious just as quickly as he came to.

Professor Rowan pulled the needle out and put a band aid over the vein before tossing the empty syringe in the trash. Dawn released Lucas's arm and glanced at the Professor, "He'll be okay now?"

"There's nothing more I can do for him," the Professor stated stoically.

Meaning whether or not he survived was still up in the air.

Dawn swallowed and glanced over at her friend, "Is he going to stay here?"

The older man nodded, "Moving him any more would give the poison more chance to spread. Until the antidote takes effect, this is the best place for him to be."

"Oh," Dawn looked around and noticed a thick blanket folded in a closet in the corner of the room. She strode to the blanket and grabbed it. Then she unfolded it and placed it overtop of Lucas, tucking him in and pulling the blanket up to his chin. She felt his forehead and was relieved to realize the temperature was starting to drop—it wasn't quite as hot as it was before. Of course, she reasoned, that could be because it was much warmer inside than it had been outside, and the contrast may have tricked her into thinking it was a terrible fever.

"I'm assuming you're going to stay in here and keep an eye on him?" Professor Rowan inquired.

"Yes," Dawn answered without hesitation.

The Professor walked over and placed a miniature cup filled with brown liquid on the table next to the bed, "Then when he wakes up, give him these. They'll help with the headache he'll undoubtedly have, and they'll bring down the fever."

She nodded to show she understood, and the Professor started for the door. Dawn suddenly remembered something, and turned.

"Professor, when I thanked Latias, someone spoke… It felt like it was inside my head."

Professor Rowan blinked, "That was probably Latias. She's a psychic pokémon, you know, and she can speak to humans without ever saying anything."

"Oh…" Dawn frowned. "Can she predict the future?"

"It's possible," the Professor shrugged. "I haven't had the opportunity to study her, because she'd be near impossible to capture, what with her brother hanging around. The best I could do is become her friend, but that doesn't benefit scientific research," he realized that he was thinking out loud, and not really answering her question, so he quickly got back on track. "To be honest, I don't know what her limits are. I've never heard of a pokémon predicting the future, but Latias has limitless potential."

So Latias may have glanced into the future and discovered that Lucas survived, or she may have just been assuring a distressed girl as support.

"Lucas's going to be so upset that he missed seeing her," Dawn mused.

The Professor's lip twitched upwards, and he turned to leave the room, "Probably."

Dawn was asleep when the clock struck two in the morning—about five hours since Lucas had been treated. The Professor had come in to see her sagging against her chair, eyes closed and head lolling uselessly. He struggled between the decision to move her to a more comfortable bed or to leave her where she was. If he moved her, she'd be sure to get angry at the fact that she left Lucas's side. If he left her, however, Lucas was sure to get angry because the Professor hadn't gotten her to a better sleeping spot. Professor Rowan sighed. It was a lose-lose situation, either way—stubborn kids.

He left Dawn where she was, choosing to take Lucas's disapproval over the fiery girl worried anger.

Lucas came to his senses around six in the morning. At first he was utterly confused—how had he gotten to this medical room, and were was the room exactly? Then he panicked: where was Dawn? She had been with him just a little bit ago, and all of a sudden he was here and she was nowhere in sight! What if she had gotten hurt, and he had been unconscious and powerless to help?

He moved to sit up and almost cried out as pain rocketed through his skull. He felt as if a sledgehammer was using his head as target practice, and making the mark every time. He lay very still for a few minutes while the pain receded, and then took stock of the rest of his body. He felt run-down, and his cheeks were that dull heat one had with a high fever. His stomach was sore, but nothing seemed broken.

"Lucas?"

He quickly turned his head towards the sound—too quickly, and the throbbing started up again. He winced in pain.

"Lucas! You're awake!" Dawn straightened and leaned closer, eyes cloudy with sleep but still alight with happiness. "Thank god…"

"…Dawn?" he muttered, his voice dry and crackly. She quickly grabbed a nearby glass of water and helped him sit up, pouring the liquid down his throat. He drank greedily—water had never tasted so good to him. Then she produced a tiny cup filled with ugly brown syrup.

"Drink up," she said, almost too cheerful. Before he could protest, she poured the vile liquid down his throat, and he almost coughed and gagged. Instead, he managed to swallow it down, grimacing as the taste fouled up his mouth.

"That tasted horrible…" he complained, rubbing his temples to fend off the headache.

Dawn smiled sympathetically, "Sorry, but the Professor told me to give it to you when you woke up. How do you feel?"

He laid back down in the bed, a bit embarrassed when she covered him with a thick blanket and tucked him in, "Miserable. But I'll live."

The look of pure relief on Dawns face surprised him, and he watched in horror as tears spilled down her cheeks, "W-what'd I say?" he stuttered, appalled.

"Nothing," she sniffed, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand. "I'm just so glad you're okay…"

"…What happened?" he ventured to ask, raking his memory. The last thing he recalled was leaving Celestic town in a hurry, but he couldn't remember the reason why.

She slumped in the chair, distraught, "It's my fault. I was heading to Snowpoint city when a blizzard hit—not uncommon around route 219. I wandered a bit off the road and got too close to a Nidorino. It attacked my pokémon, and was about to finish me off… You came, and jumped in front of it. The poison got into your blood…" she took a few breaths, trying not to cry anymore. "It's my fault…!"

Her tone was strangled, and he blinked in shock, "It was not. Stop being stupid, Dawn."

She faltered, unused to the stern tone Lucas had used.

He continued, unfazed, "I jumped in front of that Nidorino because I didn't want you to get hurt," his sad smile made her heart melt, if only for a second. "I don't think I could bear that."

But instead of being flattered, she glared daggers at him, "And you think _I_ could? I was out of my _mind_ with worry, you selfish jerk! Leaving me to fret while you lie in blissful oblivion…"

"You call this blissful?" Lucas repeated in disbelief.

"I'd take your position over mine," she retorted.

He fell silent and looked away, "But there's the difference…" he said softly. "_You_ pulled through on your end. I would have lost any will and sense I have if I had seen you lying injured in the snow." He smiled again, watching the ceiling. "So you see, I'd gladly protect you in any way I can, because I'm not as strong. I suppose I am selfish…" his eyes closed as he trailed off thoughtfully.

Dawn had no response to that, and instead stared at Lucas in astonishment. When she had finally sorted his statement out in her mind and opened her mouth to respond, he had fallen back into a deep sleep. So instead, she got up and left the room to inform Professor Rowan of his assistant's status.

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A/N: Yay! Lucas woke up! (omg, big surprise there, ne? XD) And fluffy comforting conversations... sighs dreamily So perfect. Next chapter will be the last! (Btw, I LOVE Latias... huggles)

Just so you know, I've already finished this fic. If you want the next chapter soon--two days vs. two weeks--pop me a review! They really make my day!


	3. The Aftermath

A/N: Hey, all! :) Be glad I decided to be nice and post, because I was initially planning on making you all wait until I got 20 reviews... But I'm in a good mood this morning. Part three, and the final chapter, of Poisoned! Hope you enjoy!

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**Poisoned**

**The Aftermath**

Three days later, Lucas was well on his way to recovery. He had slept for almost twenty-four hours after talking with Dawn that morning, and woken up feeling refreshed. Against Dawn's pleads, he started helping the Professor out with his research again, this time doing odd jobs around the lab. He couldn't go for very long without getting tired, and both the Professor and Dawn made sure he was never overworked.

Lucas had been particularly stubborn that morning, insisting that he was well enough to go search for wild pokémon in the grass surrounding Sandgem town. Both Dawn and Professor Rowan knew this was a plea to get moving again, but both also agreed he wasn't quite up to the task of a pokémon battle just then. So, the Professor had told Dawn to keep him occupied and out of the lab for a bit.

Which naturally meant a trip to the beach just south of the tiny town.

Dawn swam around in the shallow ocean, never straying too far from the shore. Lucas kept up with her, standing in the area that she was swimming in, with the water coming up to his chest. It was cold water, being as it was mid-fall, but Lucas's Infernape breathing fire into the water a ways away helped warm it up some.

Dawn came up for air, and Lucas sent a splash her way. It filled her mouth as she took a breath, and she doubled over, gagging as he grinned. When she had spit out all of the salty water, she glared at him, "What was that for?"

"You splashed me when you dove under the water last time," he responded lightly, clearly just happy to be outside.

"Are you sure it wasn't a wave that hit you?" she demanded, motioning towards the vast spread of ocean. "Look, here comes a big one."

As he turned his head to see, she hit the water and smiled in satisfaction as it effectively soaked his head and body. He sputtered and feigned bruised emotions, "I'm still recovering, you know!"

She rolled her eyes and splashed him again.

And the war began.

A half hour later, both teens were panting, and Lucas dragged himself back to the shore, sitting in the water just past the area where the waves broke. Dawn joined him, stretching in the midday sun.

"That was fun," she remarked. "I haven't had a water fight in a long time…"

"Yeah," he took a few deep breaths, a bit paler than normal. She glanced at him in concern.

"You okay?"

He winked at her, "No problem. Just a bit winded, that's all."

She studied him for a minute longer before shrugging, "If you say so."

They sat in silence, watching the waves crash just a foot in front of them, enjoying the chilly water as it wrapped around their feet. Dawn loved times like this. Growing up with her other best friend, the blonde Willis, she had rarely been able to just sit and enjoy something simple in nature, like the lake's glistening water or the town's lovely flowers. No, Willis was always in a hurry, always rushing to get from one place to another. As a result, she could truly appreciate something as simple as waves crashing on a beach.

It was a nice change, sitting with Lucas and knowing that he wouldn't jump up seconds later and take off as Willis so often did.

As she daydreamed, a thought struck her mind, "I guess Latias _was_ predicting the future…" she mused to herself.

Lucas glanced over, cocking his head, "Who?"

"Latias," she repeated, then grinned. "You were unconscious, so you missed it. But the Professor called in a favor to one of the legendary pokémon, Latias, and she was the reason we got you back to the lab for treatment so quickly. When I went to say goodbye to her, she told me that you'd survive. I wasn't sure if she was reassuring me, or if she was telling the future."

Lucas discarded that idea, instead focusing on the pokémon herself, "Wait, are you saying that you actually _saw_ Latias? From Latias and Latios, Latias?"

"We _rode_ on her," Dawn enjoyed the look of pure envy on his face. She knew it was wrong to rub it in, being as he was unconscious from saving _her_, but she couldn't help it. "You did too."

"And no one thought to wake me up?!" he cried out in anguish.

She scoffed, "Well, if we could do that, then we wouldn't have needed Latias's assistance in the first place, now would we?"

He opened his mouth to retort, realized that what she said was right, and closed his mouth again. Instead, he looked up at the sky with longing, as if expecting the legendary pokémon to just appear, "I wish I hadn't missed that."

"I'm sure you'll run into her someday," Dawn reasoned. "The Professor did, after all."

He looked heartened by this comment.

Just then, a loud, "Lucas!" rang out, echoing over the waves. The two teens swiveled their heads to see who was calling, and Lucas blinked in surprise as his mother bounded over the hills.

"Mom?" he questioned, getting up. The minute she got close enough, the older woman lunged at her son, engulfing him in a hug.

"Oh, honey, we were so worried about you," she cooed. "We came as soon as we heard. Are you all right?"

Lucas shifted uncomfortably when his mother released him from her vice-hug, "I'm okay now, mom."

"Good, good," the older woman eyed Dawn, who scrambled to stand up. "Is she the one you saved?"

"Yeah."

Lucas's mother narrowed her eyes at Dawn, "Listen here, young lady. You need to be more careful when you're adventuring. My son can't always jump in to save you!"

Dawn blinked and bowed her head, "Sorry, ma'am." She missed Lucas's look of disgust at his mother's attitude, instead studying the sand as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"Hmm," his mother stared at her for a moment more before turning to Lucas. "Lucas, I want you to come see me later tonight. A detailed description of the effects of Nidorino poison is in order, don't you think?"

Dawn almost opened her mouth to object, but she remembered who was ordering Lucas around and stopped herself just in time.

Lucas grimaced, "I'll try to get around to it, mom."

"Not _try_, son," his mother retorted sternly. "You _will_ get around to it. This is for science."

"Where's dad?" Lucas tried to divert his mother's attention.

The older woman shrugged, "He got caught up in Veilstone, I think. He'll be here soon…" but she trailed off uncertainly. Then she started backing up, "Rowan has many things to go over with me, so I'm going to go. Remember, Lucas. See me tonight." She threw a dirty look at Dawn, "I hoped you thanked him, girl." Then, Lucas's mother strode off towards the town.

Dawn stared in amazement after her, "I've… never met your mom before…"

Lucas turned to her, "Dawn, I'm sorry. That wasn't fair; she shouldn't have said those things."

"Oh, no," she waved her hands. "It's okay—I deserved them."

"No, you didn't," he scowled. "It was uncalled for."

She put a finger on her cheek, pondering, "Was it just me, or did she seem a bit more concerned about getting your reaction to the poison than about how you were actually doing?"

"It wasn't just you," Lucas picked up a stone and hurled it into the ocean. "Both of my parents are like that. They only act that way because they feel obligated to—if it were up to them, they would put science and research first, and me second."

Dawn felt sympathy welling up inside her, "I'm sorry…"

He shrugged bitterly, "It's not your fault. Besides, the Professor took me in at an early age. He's been more of a parent to me than either of them combined."

"How does he react to the way your parents treat you?" she asked slowly, timidly.

"… He pretends not to notice. It's not really his business, that's his reasoning," Lucas sighed and looked at the sky again. "The time that I'm out adventuring—that's the best time of my life. No parents to pretend around, no Professor to please… Just me, myself, and I."

Dawn nodded slowly, and Lucas looked so lonely just then that she reached out and engulfed him in a hug. He blinked in surprise, but hesitantly embraced her in return. She squeezed a bit, being careful to avoid his bruised stomach.

"You can always come travel with me, Lucas," she told him. "I'd love your company."

He smiled into her hair.

"Well, looky here!" a familiar voice rang out, and just then Willis bounded over, eyeing them suggestively. "I leave for a few months, and you two hook up!"

The two teens broke apart as if on fire, blushing fiercely. Dawn glared at her other best friend, "Must you always be so intrusive?"

The blonde boy grinned at her, "I've known you long enough to earn the privilege."

"Fine, but leave Lucas out of it," she retorted.

Willis chuckled, wrapping his arm around the other boy, "Nah, we're cool. He knows I'm just joking, right, Lucas?"

"Sure," the black-haired boy grinned.

Dawn stared in mock horror, "Oh my god. Sometime when I wasn't looking, you two became _friends_."

This spurred laughs from everyone, completely dispelling the melancholy mood that Lucas's mother had set.

"So, Willis, what brings you back here?" Lucas inquired.

The blonde boy shrugged, "The Prof here called me and told me you were in critical condition. I would have come sooner, but I was caught up battling the gym in Snowpoint, and then the blizzard made it impossible to leave by air."

"Wow," Dawn drawled. "That must have killed you, waiting in one spot for a blizzard to die down."

Willis shuddered mockingly, "No kidding—that's one reason why I'll never live in a place like that."

"You mean you actually planning on settling down and getting a house?" she gaped. "I always assumed you'd buy a boat and sail for the rest of your days. At least then you'd be moving."

"Oh, ha ha," Willis stated dryly, and the two had a little miniature staring contest while Lucas snickered off to the side. Willis broke off first, turning to the other boy, "So, dude, you're okay now? What happened?"

Lucas glanced at Dawn, who nodded encouragingly, "I jumped in front of a rampaging Nidorino and got poisoned. I'm okay now though."

"Hold it," Willis raised an eyebrow. "You _jumped _in front of a _what_?"

"A Nidorino," Dawn supplied. "It's a poison type pokémon from a different region. We don't know how it got to Sinnoh, or why it was so far north."

Willis ran a hand through his blonde hair, "Okay, but why in God's name did you leap in front of it?"

Lucas blushed slightly, "It was charging at Dawn."

The blonde boy gaped at his friends in sheer amazement, "So you're saying that you almost got yourself killed to save _her_?"

Dawn glared at him, "Ex_cuse_ me!"

"Seriously, are you joking me?"

Lucas shook his head, "I'm serious, dude. I saw it charging and acted without thinking."

"Oh, that must be why then. You weren't thinking."

"Hey!" Dawn objected indignantly. The two boys ignored her, continuing their conversation.

"I _was_ thinking, though. I was thinking that I didn't want Dawn to get hurt."

Silence fell over Willis for a moment as he stared thoughtfully at his two friends. Then he frowned and grabbed Lucas's arm, "Come on, buddy. We have to talk."

Dawn watched the two guys walk off and come to a stop a few feet from town, interacting noiselessly. She could see Willis talking seriously, and then Lucas was laughing. Willis got mad, and that only made Lucas laugh harder. Finally, the black-haired boy squelched his chuckles and nodded stoically. Willis patted his shoulder and started back towards Dawn, smiling. Behind him, Lucas was barely holding back another bout of laughter.

"Well, you two won't have any problems," Willis exclaimed to a confused Dawn when he got within hearing range. "Now that I've checked in, I have places to go. I'll catch you two later!" and he waved and threw a pokéball, disappearing on the back of a giant bird pokémon. Within seconds, he was a mere dot in the sky.

Lucas drew even with Dawn, staring up in amusement, "He never stays long, does he?"

"Nope."

They stared at the clear sky for a bit longer before Dawn couldn't hold her curiosity in any more, "What did Willis say to you that was so funny?"

Lucas smirked, "He was giving me tips on what sort of things you like in a guy, for when we started dating."

She stared at him, and he met her gaze, and they both burst out laughing. But while this was humorous to them at that moment, both knew the idea wasn't as far-fetched as they made it out to be. Perhaps something more might come between them in the future. Perhaps they would date. They could even get married and start a family.

But for now, they were content to sit on the beach and laugh, enjoying each other's company and the mirth Willis had provided them with.

* * *

A/N: Sorry, but I didn't feel like ending this one with the cliche kiss. :P I may write more Dawn x Lucas in the future, but for now I'm not really inspired because I don't have a DS, and thus can't play my Diamond game.

Anyway, check out my other pokemon fic, if you liked this one. It's basically silliness, but I had fun writing it! It's on my profile page, titled "Falling". :)

PS: It would make my day if you reviewed!


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